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Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center and a contributing editor for NewsBusters.org.

A July 2014 Media Reality Check by Scott documented how the networks shut out critics of Barack Obama's foreign policy, despite a summer of international crises. In April of 2014, Scott's blog on NewsBusters exposed how ABC falsely connected a former tech CEO to the hateful Westboro Baptist Church. This forced an apology by ABC News Vice President Jeffrey Schneider.

In April of 2013, Scott researched and wrote a Media Reality Check on ABC's complete blackout of abortionist Kermit Gosnell's trial. His stories on this subject and others were linked to on the Drudge Report, the Washington Times, Breitbart and Mediaite, to name a few outlets.

Scott is a graduate of George Mason University and is originally from Philadelphia, PA. He lives in Northern Virginia and can be contacted at SWhitlock@mediaresearch.org. You can also follow Scott on Twitter.

For the second time in two days, Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos on Tuesday lobbied for tax increases, wondering why it's "okay" for the "wealthiest Americans" to continue to receive a tax cut.

The GMA host pushed Congresswoman Michele Bachmann to accept a deal in exchange for extending the Bush tax cuts. After the conservative leader expressed skepticism about extending unemployment benefits, Stephanopoulos complained, "But, why is it okay for the wealthiest Americans, earning over $250,000 a year– And remember, the President has called for extending all tax cuts for those under $250,000."

He continued, worrying about why it's acceptable for the wealthy to get "tax cuts extended, but for people who are out of a job and needing unemployment benefits not to have their benefits extended?"

Good Morning America' s Dan Harris on Saturday gently coaxed an answer from James Carville as to whether the campaign operative still believed his 2009 prediction that the Democratic Party would rule for the next 40 years.

The ABC co-host delicately reminded, "One, last, quick question. You wrote a book last year, I believe, that predicted 40 more years of Democratic dominance in Washington...Given what happened not long ago in those elections, do you stand by that prediction?"

The liberal strategist didn't back down, asserting, "Yeah. I do." Does Carville "stand by" his prediction? Clearly, he's already off by at least two years with the remaining 38 still in question. (The analysis first appeared in 40 More Years: How the Democrats Will Rule the Next Generation, Carville's book on the subject.)

Former top Clinton aide George Stephanopoulos on Monday pestered his old White House colleague Erskine Bowles on the need to let the Bush tax cuts expire. The Good Morning America co-host also touted the critique of liberal columnist Paul Krugman in opposition to a panel calling for deficit reduction.

Stephanopoulos pushed Bowles, the co-chairman of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform: "By extending [the Bush tax cuts, that's going to cost about $4 trillion...Couldn't some of this be avoided by keeping the tax rates where they are? I mean, by letting them go back to where they were in 1998 when you were White House chief of staff?"

Citing more liberal conventional wisdom, the ABC anchor critiqued, "[Paul Krugman] says taking away the deduction for the home mortgage deduction, the deduction for employer provided health care will end up creating a mixture of tax cuts and tax increases that is tax cuts for the wealthy and tax increases for the middle class."

Former Nightline host Ted Koppel will use an op-ed appearing in Sunday's Washington Post to compare the current state of cable news to financial swindler Bernie Madoff and to express "nonpartisan sadness" over the success of Fox News and MSNBC.

The veteran journalist touted the suspension of Keith Olbermann for donating to Democratic congressional candidates as "a whimsical, arcane holdover from a long-gone era of television journalism when the networks considered the collection and dissemination of substantive and unbiased news to be a public trust."

Attacking Fox and MSNBC for bias, he even compared, "This is to journalism what Bernie Madoff was to investment: He told his customers what they wanted to hear, and by the time they learned the truth, their money was gone." Koppel expressed the not exactly original wish of many journalists to return to a time when only a few network and reporters were the final arbiters of news: "The commercial success of both MSNBC and Fox News is a source of nonpartisan sadness for me."

According to Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos, a deficit commission suggesting deep cuts will call the "bluff" of voters who want to severely restrict government spending. The ABC host on Thursday dismissed the plausibility of the panel's recommendations.

Stephanopoulos condescendingly began, "A week after voters seemed to say that they wanted more aggressive action against the deficit, the chairmen of a presidential commission are calling their bluff." GMA featured two segments on the topic, but never once actually mentioned the deficit number, $1.3 trillion.

Reporter Jake Tapper featured Barack Obama's speech from South Korea in which the President attacked Republican campaign rhetoric on the debt: "And unfortunately, a lot of the talk didn't match up with reality." Left unmentioned was the Obama's own record spending.

Hardball host Chris Matthews on Monday rhapsodized over Fair Game, the new Sean Penn movie about the Valerie Plame scandal, even going so far as to compare the film to the classic Casablanca.

In a closing commentary on the lefty movie, Matthews enthused, "This is one fine movie. While there will never be another Casablanca, Fair Game is perfect for our murky time." Matthews, who interviewed Plame's husband, Joe Wilson, earlier in the show, showcased the movie as a bold truth teller.

Casablanca was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third greatest film ever. One wonders if Matthews seriously thinks Fair Game is worthy of such a connection.

Switching into film critic mode, he gushed, "Want to understand Iraq and how we got there? Want a real look at the Bush White House and how they got us there? Want to see on the big screen what our nightly fights here are all about? Go see this movie."

According to Good Morning America, Michelle Obama is the second coming of Jackie Kennedy. Co-host Robin Roberts enthused on Wednesday, "...First Lady Michelle Obama is drawing comparisons to the first first lady of fashion diplomacy. That, of course, being Jackie Kennedy." An ABC graphic lauded the "American icon."

Correspondent Claire Shipman highlighted Michelle Obama's trip to India with her husband and hyped, "It's a charm and style offensive that has all of us reaching for that inevitable comparison. India just as besotted by this glamorous First Lady as it was by that ultimate style icon Jackie Kennedy, almost half a century ago."

Shipman has been reporting on the Obamas since 2007 and has made little attempt to hide her enthusiasm. On January 18, 2007, she rhapsodized about the "fluid poetry" of Barack Obama. On May 6, 2008, she gushed, "...I think it says it all that [Michelle Obama's] Secret Service code name is renaissance."

A visibly annoyed Shepard Smith on Monday decried the "sour grapes" and "slimy motives" of a group of defeated House Democrats who are circulating a letter in opposition of Nancy Pelosi staying on as a leader of the new Democratic minority. The host even appeared to depart from his teleprompter to defend Pelosi.

Introducing reporter James Rosen, the Fox News host complained, "Could it be anything more than sour grapes, really, here?" Smith questioned the journalist about the origins of the letter. After being told that Rosen couldn't identify those involved, the Studio B anchor ranted, "To circulate that thing out there without even putting a name on it. Kind of slimy, it seems to me. I guess that's how politics works though. Sometimes it's a slimy business."

Rosen can be seen visibly baffled by Smith's outburst. Perhaps thinking he was off camera, the reporter frowned and sighed deeply. In another instance during the same segment, Smith seemed to find his own prompter too right-wing and inserted some liberal commentary.

Well known Hillary Clinton fan Cynthia McFadden on Tuesday pushed Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to agree that the former First Lady could do his job.

Talking to both Clinton and Gates for Good Morning America, McFadden noted that the Defense Secretary has pledged to leave within a year. Motioning her head to Clinton, sitting to the left of Gates, the ABC News anchor prompted, "Any thoughts about who might do a good job?"

During four days of coverage, ABC skipped the conservative perspective while reporting on Keith Olbermann's suspension. The network also used the liberal label only once. Good Morning America covered the story on Saturday and Monday and never used the word.

Friday's Nightline briefly highlighted the story. Anchor Bill Weir referred to Olbermann as MSNBC's "liberal star" and someone who has "leftward leanings." On Monday's GMA, co-host Robin Roberts pontificated on the cable host, suspended because he made political donations to three Democrats.

She fretted, "It's a move that raises questions about the changing role of journalism and whether cable news networks and others are abandoning the goal of impartial reporting." (Conservatives would probably argue that MSNBC long ago stopped caring about such things.)

Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos on Monday devoted almost an entire interview with Republican Darrell Issa to attacking a criticism the Congressman made of Barack Obama as "corrupt." Stephanopoulos attempted four times to get Issa to recant his accusation.

The GMA host demanded of Issa, who next year will chair the powerful House Oversight committee, "And just before the election, you made a pretty serious charge on Rush Limbaugh's radio show saying that President Obama has been, quote, 'one of the most corrupt presidents of modern times.' What did you base that on? And how will you follow up on that now that you have the power to investigate?"

Stephanopoulos returned to the question over and over, excluding other topics: "So, let me just press that. You no longer stand by the statement that the President is one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times?" After Issa brought up misuse of stimulus money and other issues, the annoyed host demanded, "Do you stand by the statement or not?"

Good Morning America on Friday featured an all liberal "Morning Mix" panel to bash conservatives, tout liberal talking points about the midterm elections and the stupidity of Sarah Palin. Additionally, host George Stephanopoulos dismissed the Republican gains, claiming, "...We see, now, every two years, the country just says throw everybody out. Again, it's happened all the time."

Actually, it hasn't. Tuesday's GOP landslide was the biggest swing in House seats since 1948. Journalist Deborah Norville appeared on the panel to interpret the election results as a call for compromise: "Because, clearly, the message of this vote on Tuesday was that Americans are sick of the status quo."

Liberal actress Patricia Clarkson offered bromides about the new Republican majority: "I think the party of no is going to be the party of uh-oh. 'Cause they're not going to get anything done. They're going to see exactly what [Obama's] been up against."

James Carville on Thursday appeared on Good Morning America to discuss Tuesday's Republican landslide, but faced no questions about his erroneous prediction that Democrats would enjoy 40 years of dominance.

On May 4, 2009, Carville stopped by GMA to tout 40 More Years: How the Democrats Will Rule the Next Generation, his book on the subject. An ABC Graphic hyped, "Democrats 1932-1968, Republicans 1968-2008, Democrats 2008-2048?"

In light of massive GOP victories, Stephanopoulos also could have questioned his friend about a quip from the 2009 appearance: "...These tea baggers, they turned everybody off. There were a bunch of like 75-year-old cranky white guys mad at everything. It just couldn't have been a better event for the Democratic Party. I hope they come back and tea bag some more."

Nightly News host Brian Williams on Wednesday oddly obsessed over a portrait of Bill Clinton that could barely be seen in the background as Barack Obama finished his first post-election press conference.

During live coverage, as Obama walked away from the podium, Williams apparently spotted the Clinton portrait and pontificated, "Interesting bit there at the end, with Bill Clinton literally looking on between the pillars, his Presidential portrait overlooking the front entrance hallway there in the White House." The journalist didn't expand on the significance he found in the painting.

On CBS, Evening News anchor Katie Couric introduced Obama's address by recapping, "Earlier today, Boehner said his goal is a, quote, 'smaller, less costly and more accountable government.'" She then spun Boehner's generic comments: "Chip, both the President and John Boehner say they hope to find common ground, but those words from John Boehner, they sound like fighting words to me." Fighting words?

Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos on Wednesday used a post-election interview to harangue Rand Paul as to whether the newly elected senator was willing to be a one-termer in pursuit of spending cuts.

Stephanopoulos pressed, "So, even if it means you're going to be a one-term senator, you're willing to say, we're going to cut Medicare. We are going to cut Social Security in order to balance the budget?" The GMA host tried to stir up trouble, questioning, "If that means taking on your party's own leaders, are you going to do it?"

At one point, Paul attempted to point out the financial relationship between all types of Americans. Gesturing towards Stephanopoulos, he snapped, "We buy stuff from rich people. Some people are rich newscasters, you know?"

Ex-CBS broadcaster Dan Rather on Tuesday appeared on MSNBC and lamented the fact that Republicans have turned Nancy Pelosi into a "villain" and "demonized" her. The famous broadcaster also implied that sexism was involved, gesturing to his female co-panelists, "She is from San Francisco. She is a woman." Before being interrupted, he added, "And the three of you can figure out-"

Speaking of sexism, on the June 11, 2007 Morning Joe, Rather attacked Katie Couric, his successor at the CBS Evening News, this way: "The mistake was to try to bring the ‘Today’ show ethos to the evening news and to dumb it down, tart it up in hopes of attracting a younger audience."

Rather on Tuesday opined of Speaker Pelosi: "Ideal villain. And they made a villain of her and they have demonized her from day one. And what was said earlier, what's made it easy for them is she's been so effective. " The CBS journalist couched his analysis by saying he wasn't judging the Republicans' action, suggesting, "This is the way politics are."

Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos on Tuesday once again pushed Republicans who win on Election Day to "cooperate" with Barack Obama and also wondered if a defeat could be a "blessing" for the President.

Talking to Republican adviser Nicolle Wallace, the morning show host lobbied, "But [Republicans] have to make a choice, as well. Do they choose to cooperate with President Obama and stand firm on principle, which is going to guarantee gridlock?"

Questioning former Obama aide Anita Dunn, he wondered if "having more Republicans in Washington is a blessing to him because it means that he must reach out to these independent voters, especially?"

Good Morning America on Sunday skipped the hateful signs at Jon Stewart's rally in Washington D.C., Saturday. Reporter David Kerley instead played a clip of the comedian and hyped, "Comedy on the mall, a little Daily Show with its star offering a bit of a sermon."

Although journalists were quite eager to play up extreme signs at Tea Party rallies, Kerley did not show a sign featuring Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and others with Hitler mustaches.

He did not feature this picture, taken by the Media Research Center's Kevin Eder (@Keder). It read, "Death to right-wing extremists. (But in a nice way.)" For more extreme signs, go here. Instead, Kerley reverently parroted, "You know, one last thing that Stewart said, most of his barbs were headed right toward the media. He said when everything gets amplified too much, nothing gets heard."

Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos on Monday cajoled Republican National Committee Chairman into agreeing that a GOP victory on Tuesday wouldn't be validation for the Republican Party, using half of a "startling" quote by Jeb Bush as proof.

Stephanopoulos began, "...The Republican Party, even though they do seem poised for pretty big gains, is no more popular than the Democrat Party." He continued, citing the former Florida Governor: "And even Jeb Bush, son of the former president had a pretty startling comment in The New York Times. He said tomorrow's results will not be a validation of the Republican Party at all. Is he right?"

Of course, the morning show host didn't read the very next sentence from Bush's NYT interview: "It’s a repudiation of this massive overreach by President Obama and his supporters in Congress." Stephanopoulos could have easily pressed Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine, who appeared with Steele, on this point.

Good Morning America's Claire Shipman on Friday used no liberal labels in a friendly piece to promote Jon Stewart's rally in Washington, Saturday. Yet, on August 28, she warned viewers about the "right-wing" Glenn Beck and his protest in the nation's capital.

Shipman credulously asserted of Stewart and fellow comedian Stephen Colbert: "But what are we to make of a couple of comedians who say they have no political agenda drawing huge crowds to Washington a few days before elections?"

The ABC journalist simply parroted Stewart's claims: "[Stewart] insists he's not the answer to Glenn Beck. He's been talking about a different message." Even though Shipman reported that liberals such as singer Sheryl Crow and actor Sam Waterston will be attending, she never used ideological labels.

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